Sex and the City opened strong at the U.S. movie box office this past weekend.

Cast members of 'Sex and the City: The Movie" 

Sex and the City, the new theatrical film based on the HBO TV series that appealed strongly to women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, opened strong at the U.S. box office this past weekend, doing almost twice as well as industry analysts had expected.

Predicted to bring in approximately $30 million in U.S. domestic box office receipts during its first weekend, the film brought in almost that much during its first day, Friday, hauling in $26.9 million. Women across the nation reportedly organized "girls’ night out" parties for the Friday opening. As a result, the Saturday gross was much lower, at $17.7 million. Nonetheless, the film brought in an estimated $55.7 million, constituting the biggest opening ever for an R-rated comedy and fifth-best for any R-rated film.

The audience was reported to be 85 percent female, showing the film’s successful appeal to the group it was trying to reach.

Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull remained strong, finishing second with a take of $46 million.